South Korean Retail Investors Place 30 Wreaths Outside National Assembly, Demand Ban on Samsung and SK Hynix Leverage ETFs

According to Chosun Ilbo, on July 29, South Korean retail investors placed about 30 wreaths outside the National Assembly, demanding the elimination of 2x leverage ETFs tracking Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix following a sharp market decline. The wreaths were delivered by a retail investor group called "Stock Market Normalization Conference," which called for stronger investor protections and the delisting of these products. The previous trading day saw KOSPI plunge over 8% and trigger circuit breaker mechanisms, while the single-stock leverage products tracking the two companies fell approximately 25%.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission announced it will raise trading thresholds starting July 31, requiring retail investors to maintain at least 30 million Korean won in cash as a basic margin when buying or adding to single-stock leverage positions. The FSC expects the measure to reduce active trading accounts from approximately 100,000 to about 10,000, with trading volume declining roughly 60%.